Crash sensor switches are used in conjunction with explosives technology to provide vehicle air bags that rapidly inflate in the event of a collision. One type of crash sensor in use today is a ball in tube switch, in which a metal ball is held in place by a magnet, which ball is released during a collision when the deceleration force exceeds the magnetic biasing force holding the ball in the magnet. The released ball, which fits snugly in the tube, travels to a position where it bridges electrical contacts, closing a circuit that activates an air bag. This conventional ball in tube switch is disclosed in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,549. The disadvantage of such ball in tube sensors is that they may not trigger the air bag when a diagonal crash occurs. This is due to the need to align the tube with the crash forces in order for crash forces to release the ball from the magnet. This problem is discussed in Breed, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,880. Because such switch elements are critical, but rarely called upon to operate, the entire ball must be plated with gold to avoid corrosion that would impede switch operation. It is to be appreciated that this can be costly.